Stanley Cup Playoffs 2012: East Picks for Round 1

If the playoffs started tomorrow, who would be in and who would be out? The Stanley Cup playoffs are one of the most exciting sporting tournaments in all the major sports. Sixteen teams enter the gauntlet and one emerges as the champion.

If the playoffs started tomorrow, who would emerge from the first round of the playoffs?

The current standings would be as follows.

1) New York Rangers vs. 8) Washington Capitals

2) Boston Bruins vs. 7) Ottawa Senators

3) Florida Panthers vs. 6) New Jersey Devils

4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5) Philadelphia Flyers 

Read on to see who I feel would emerge victorious in the first round.

1) New York Rangers vs. 8) Washington Capitals

This will be the first time that the roles are reversed in this first-round matchup. The past two times the Rangers and Capitals squared off, the Capitals were the favorite and the Rangers were the underdog.

Now Henrik Lundqvist and the Rangers would have home ice advantage over Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals.

Out of potential first-round opponents, the Capitals would be the toughest for the Rangers. The Rangers are now more motivated than ever to shake the monkey off their back. Facing the Capitals could finally change how the Rangers view the playoffs.

So who would win this series?

Rangers defeat Capitals in six games.

In the past, the Rangers struggled offensively against the Capitals, but this season the Rangers have proved that they can outscore the Capitals. With Marian Gaborik on his game and starting to form chemistry with Brad Richards and Carl Hagelin, offense shouldn't be a problem for New York.

Secondary scoring from Derek Stepan, Artem Anisimov and scoring on the blue line from Michael Del Zotto should help as well. Chris Kreider could also potentially make things interesting for the Blueshirts.

The Rangers' defensive strength and goaltending edge would also benefit them in a series against a Capitals offense which is weaker than it was last time the two teams met in the playoffs.

The big difference in this series will be no Nicklas Backstrom. Backstrom is a player who seemed to have the Rangers' number in the postseason. Not having Backstrom makes the Capitals short on center depth. 

Alex Ovechkin is also having a down year and has been practically invisible against the Rangers this season due to the play of Ryan McDonagh and Dan Girardi.

While this series will last six games, it is one that will prepare the Rangers for the second round.

2) Boston Bruins vs. 7) Ottawa Senators

This matchup would be a great playoff series between bitter Northeast Division rivals. The defending Stanley Cup champion Bruins would face off in a best-of-seven against the surging Ottawa Senators. a team that has really turned things around under Paul MacLean.

Who would win the series?

Senators defeat Bruins in seven games.

This series has the potential to be one of the best in the entire 2012 playoff season. The Bruins are a team that has hit a rough patch and has battled through injuries. Tim Thomas is not playing like the Tim Thomas of 2011 and Marty Turco hasn't been a great replacement for Tuukka Rask. There is a reason why he has only played in one game.

With offensive punch from Milan Michalek, Jason Spezza, Daniel Alfredsson and Erik Karlsson with secondary scoring from Colin Greening and Nick Foligo, the Senators should be able to keep up with the Bruins and get to Thomas.

It should be noted that the Bruins have many forwards who can generate offense like Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and Tyler Seguin, and have an advantage in goaltending. But this series will be a close one.

The explosiveness of Jason Spezza could be a difference-maker. It is his explosiveness that could propel the Senators to a one-game advantage.

The Bruins will put up a fight, but Craig Anderson should also be back at 100 percent and he will be very rested for a lengthy playoff run. That could give him a slight advantage over Thomas.

Defensively the Bruins are more sound, but Ottawa's blue line has an offensive edge with Erik Karlsson whose puck-moving ability helps to generate tons of offense.

With this series expected to go seven games, it could conceivably go either way. But I think the Senators will upset the Bruins in Round 1.

3) Florida Panthers vs. 6) New Jersey Devils

The Florida Panthers made a splash in free agency and up to this point their moves have paid off. The Panthers have played better than the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning, and that is something that they should be commended for.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the New Jersey Devils are the odd team out in the Atlantic Division. They are a team that is talented but is just overshadowed by the powerhouse New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins and the Philadelphia Flyers.

Who will win this series?

Devils defeat Panthers in five games.

The Devils are a team that has been waiting to make some noise in the playoffs. Last year the Devils made a valiant effort to come back during the second half. This year the Devils have played more consistently.

Led up front by Ilya Kovalchuk, Patrik Elias, David Clarkson and Adam Henrique, the Devils can run up the score if you let them. The Devils are also a very physical team that can grind against the Panthers. When you add the playoff experience and the play of Martin Brodeur, he could play a huge role in this series.

The Panthers are a very talented team who I feel will come back better next season. When you take the current roster and add prospect Jonathan Huberdeau and a healthy Jacob Markström to the equation, the Panthers could be a sleeper team to make some noise next season. 

4) Pittsburgh Penguins vs. 5) Philadelphia Flyers

This matchup features teams from one state and only allows for one to emerge victorious. The battle of Pennsylvania makes for great hockey and action in the month of April. Both these teams are close in build and talent, but who would have the edge?

Philadelphia has Claude Giroux, but Pittsburgh has Evgeni Malkin.

Philadelphia has Jaromir Jagr, but Pittsburgh has Jordan Staal.

Philadelphia has Scott Hartnell, but Pittsburgh has James Neal.

Philadelphia has Ilya Bryzgalov, but Pittsburgh has Marc Andre Fleury.

You get the point. But who would emerge victorious? Both teams are physical, can score and can keep the puck out of the net. Each team is similar in many ways, but one will ultimately have the edge. It is a series that would be very close and could impact the team that does advance.

Pittsburgh defeats Philadelphia in seven games.

With Sidney Crosby healthy, the Penguins are the team to beat. They have offense, defense and goaltending. They also have experience as they have won a Stanley Cup in the last five years. They are as hot as can be and it seems that they will go on another winning streak despite losing to the Flyers on Sunday.

The Penguins lost against the Flyers on Sunday because of bad penalties taken by Evgeni Malkin and Zybnik Michalek. If the Penguins had been more disciplined in the third period, the Flyers probably would not have tied the game.

In a seven-game series, this will be a fight to the finish. While both teams have similar arsenals, a healthy Sidney Crosby is the game-changer. 

It is almost a guarantee that two Atlantic Division rivals will square off in the first round, and it will be one of the toughest playoff series in recent memory.

When you add up the hotness of Pittsburgh, its dominant offense, defensive soundness and the goaltending of Marc Andre Fleury, the Penguins are going to be a very scary team in the playoffs.

Tom Urtz is an NHL Featured Columnist.

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